Chewing-gum package and method of making the same



Nov. s, 1928. 1,690,098

P. L. BECKER CHEWING GUM PACKAGE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAIE Filed Feb. 17, 1927 Patented Nov. 6, 1928.

UNITEDSTATES 1,690,098 PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP L. BECKER, OF FLUSHING, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN 'CHICLE COMPANY, OF'LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF YORK.

, canwmc-ouu PACKAGE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME.

Application-filed February-17, 1927. Serial No. 168,879.

My invention relates to a package and method which is more particularly adapted for use inconnection with chewing-gum, cand and other confectionery products, whic are daniaged' by the absorption of moisture or the atmosphere. Y

Various packages have been proposed for the purpose, but in tests of such packages I have found that they are either impractical because of cost or because of ineffectiveness in sealing the packaged substance against the absorption of moisture or the escape'of volatile oils or other ingredients of the substance.

The invention will beiunderstoocl by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a gum package made in accordance with theinvention, and a Figure 3 is a longitudinal section on the. line 33, Figure 2.

In my method, I enclose theu'nit's of gum within a wrapping of paper 2, the latter being waxed, the drawing indicating the waxed coating at 3. The gum units may be individually wrapped in paper or not, as desired. The ends of the wax-paper wrap-ping should be folded in any approved inanner, as, for example, in the manner illustrated at 4, Figure 3. Althoughin the drawing I have indicated the waxed coating of the paper (at 3) as applied to one of the surfaces of the paper only, it is, in practice, customary to apply the coating to both sides of the paper, and the invention contemplates the use of such paper in addition to only. 7

The usual waxed paper is a paper which has been coated with paraffin, and my invention contemplates the use of paper thus coated or paper coated with other material having the same purpose.

I have found that waxed paper when folded about the sticks of gum in the customary manner, with theoverlapping portions of the paper sealed together, or merely brought into close association, and whether the scaling is effected with parafiin or other wax, or b glue, will not produce the results sought. he reason for this is that the commercial waxed papers, even -when manufactured with the greatest care, have minute openings which are suflicient to either admit Figure 2-is an end elevation of the same;

the paper coated on one face moisture or permit the escapeof the volatile 1 ingredients of the substances packaged. A

further difiiculty is that the folding of the paper about the substance to be packaged disturbs the wax coating and provides addiin a patent to W. A. Beatty, No. 1,369,159,

of February 22, 1921, which consists in associating the parafiin paper in an envelope or wrapper of metal foil having its overlapping edges and folds sealed by paraffin or other wax. Such a package, however, is expensive because of the usejo'fmetal foil, and a'further disadvantage is the weight of the pack-' age, which also is due to the use of foil. A still further objection to the use of foil lies in the fact that in the use of packaging machines, which are commercially essential in.

packaging chewing-gum, there is a marked 9 tendency for the foil to become torn or punctured by the machine, thus making a break in the protecting medium, with the result that a large percentage of the packages is not moisture or air proof. Thefoil also has the same tendency as waxed paper, i. e., to fracture at points in the lines of fold. By the present invention, I dispense with the foil and yet provide a'package which is entirely moisture-proof and proof against the passage of air or volatile ingredients contained in the substances packaged. This is accomplished by providing a skin or coating. which completely envelops the package, an

which I-have indicated at 5, Figure 3. I have discovered that it is not practicable to pro-. duce the package by dipping the same ,in molten paraflin or the like, because the paraflin or other bath has the peculiar effect of causing the initial paraflin coat on the paper to expand, swell, and otherwise tend to free itself from the paper, as by dissolving, melt,- ing, or other action. The result is that, while superficially the coating. appears to be regular'it is actually irregular and not of the character required to insure the result. This is particularly true in the case of the wrapping of low-priced packages of chewing-gum and candy, where, for commercial purposes, the

wrapping, dipping, and cooling operations 'must be erformed by high-speed machinery.

point, for example 138 degrees to 145 degrees F., or I add to the wax of ordinary meltmg point a percentage, for example ten per cent, of a wax of higher melting point such as carnau'ba' wax, added to p'araflin, which wax of higher melting point has, I have dis covered, the function of holding the softer melting point of from 123 degrees to 130'degrees F.

My invention has the substantial advantage over the packages which have been proposed or are now in use in that the package is entirely moisture and air proof, and proof against the passage of highly volatile oils such as those contained in the flavoring of the substances packaged; it avoids the use of foil, which is expensive, and it is light in weight as compared with a foil package.

It will be understood that the package shown in the drawing is illustrative only, and

prising a body enclosed within a wrapper of waxed paper, the paper being folded about said body, and a wax-like material completely enveloping said paper and having a melting point relatively less than that of the wax on the paper underlying it.'

2. The method of producing a moisture and air proof package comprising the step of enclosing the bod to be packaged within a covering of waxc paper and the further step of forming upon said paper an integral sheath of material having a melting point lower-than the melting point of the wax on the paper, and cooling the package thus formed.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

PHILIP L. BECKER. 

